Officials from Western countries will put in a lot of effort to make sure that the disagreement between Canada and India doesn’t affect their relationships with other countries.
The United States and other powerful Western countries want to avoid a conflict with India. India is important on the world stage because it’s a big country with lots of people and a strong economy. The West sees India as a potential ally against China. At a recent meeting, some countries decided not to criticize Russia directly to keep their relationship with India good. This upset some people in Ukraine.
Western diplomats are worried that countries might start taking sides in the Canada-India disagreement. Things got more serious between Canada and India when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of being involved in the killing of a Sikh activist in Canada.
Lately, India has been trying to show itself as a leader of developing countries, often called the Global South. Many of these countries haven’t condemned Russia for invading Ukraine. The US and some European countries have been working hard to convince these countries that the war is important for them and their economies.
Diplomats don’t want this disagreement to mess up those efforts, especially if it’s turned into a battle between the North and the South, or seen as a fight between a strong Western country and a developing one.
A murder case in Canada is causing problems with India. Canadians and Indians are upset with each other. Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau talked about this with US President Biden and UK Prime Minister Sunak.
Right now, Canada’s friends are supporting them but being careful. The White House said the US is very worried about the murder allegations. They think it’s really important for Canada to investigate and catch the people responsible.
For countries like the UK and Australia, which have big Sikh communities, a disagreement like this could have political consequences at home. UK Foreign Secretary Cleverly said they’re listening closely to Canada’s concerns and taking them seriously. He talked to Canada’s Foreign Minister about it and said they’re waiting for the Canadian investigation to finish before deciding what to do next.
Both Canada and India are good friends of the UK and are part of the Commonwealth, which is a group of countries that used to be part of the British Empire. Australia is also worried about the allegations and has told India about its concerns.
Right now, the Western countries will observe and see how the investigation goes. Some close friends might get information from Canadian intelligence. The big change would be if strong evidence is found.
If that happens, powerful Western countries would have to decide whether to support Ottawa or New Delhi. It’s a choice between standing up for the rule of law or considering practical politics.
Before, Western nations have criticized actions like this taken by other countries, such as Russia, Iran, or Saudi Arabia, in different countries. They wouldn’t want India to be added to that list.
SOURCE : BBC